The Essence of Innocent Murder
by Anthly
Summary: Edlynne is like any District One girl. She's trained and she's prepared herself her whole life to become a victor, to achieve what her parents never got the chance to. So when she gets chosen, her whole family are thrilled, including herself. But what she faces inside the arena is beyond words. To Edlynne, it seems the Gamemakers have pulled out all the stops.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the Hunger Games or anything in it. I own these characters however. Any similarities are simply coincidental. This story is also based in an alternative universe/timeline.  
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Chapter One

It's a tradition. Those three words are repeated annually by pretty much everyone in the Capitol, and of course, everyone here. My family is sitting at a table, discussing the upcoming Games. I'm the oldest child in my house, thus the only eligible one. My mother is recalling some of the Games from when she was a child, including her favourite one. It is blatantly obvious that she never tires of it and that all the fuss she makes about the event is to make up for her lost chance to go in herself. Twenty-two years ago, an eighteen year old girl called Marcy Jones was chosen to enter the Games. Barely five seconds later, her dreams were dashed by a girl of equal age. She lost.

**"So Edlynne, are you going to volunteer this year? You know, you've only got this year and the next one. You can't just sit back until you're eighteen. You could have won at fifteen, I'm sure of it."** my little sister Ruphyna turns to look at me, awaiting my expression. We both know how sick I get of our mother's constant nagging and eagerness about the Games, although at the same time neither of us know why we get so fed up. Our whole family shares the same passion, even my father - his brother got killed in the Games and it didn't affect him one bit. Just fueled his eagerness to get in himself. His dreams were discarded much like my mother's.

**"I don't know, maybe. Another years training can't hurt..."** now don't get me wrong. I really want to get in the Games just as much as everyone else in my District. I can't say even more than everyone else because that is just impossible, everyone wants to become a victor.  
**"No! Edlynne, you can't keep doing this! You're capable of winning, I know you are. You know how much me and your father have done to train you up. We both want you to get the dream we never reached. We both made one mistake; I don't want you to do the same."** she yelled at first, but as she neared the end, her voice quieted and she looked down at the floor. I suddenly feel terrible even though I had nothing to do with the fact she never got what she wanted. My lips curl inwards and whatever I was going to say next disappears. I don't know how she does it, but my mother has this wonderful effect that whenever she feels happy, sad, angry, any emotion, everyone in the room starts to feel that. For a short while anyway.

**"You really want me to win this, don't you? Do you really want me to go in now?"** I whisper, my voice deep yet hushed. I pull a strand of my ebony hair out of my face and tuck it behind my ear. Yes, I do know how much they have done for me. They both know of my feelings towards our District's purpose - luxury. I detest working with the gemstones all day long, so they got my sister and brother to do all the work in our shop instead, letting me train. After all, the both had several years before they became eligible. Well, Ruphyna only had one to go, Ocelfa had three still.  
**"Yes, please. I know you want to."** again, she was right. That woman could read me like a book. I nodded firmly. Persuasion was no skill to my mother, it was second nature. That skill had been passed down to me, so she says, but in the end I'm no match for her social skills. She gets her way no matter what.  
**"Okay, for you. I just hope my traini-"** my mother shoots me a glare that stops me mid-sentence. Of course. We're District One. We're the Careers. Of course my training will have paid off. My mother can't stand the thought of me doubting myself for a moment. She always says doubting yourself is a weakness. I don't think so; doubt can become a second thought, and a second thought could be all it takes to save yourself from certain death. My father clears his throat, a grin on his face. I don't know why though, no one does. It seems my father laughs at anything.

**"Relax you two. I'm pretty sure Edlynne will get in. You haven't been taking tesserae, no one has, there's no need. There are plenty others that will get chosen, all you have to do is volunteer before anyone else does."** he pauses for effect. He loves doing that. **"Don't waste that one chance."**

I picture in other Districts, families sitting in silence, not speaking, wondering and worrying about tomorrow. Not me, no one in District One. Well, that's not strictly true. Like here, my parents are hoping that I'll get in. So am I, after all, I've been training since I was six. After I've finished eating, Ruphyna takes the plates away and I enter our basement which has been transformed into our personal training space. We're technically not supposed to train before the Hunger Games begin, but it seems that here in District One we can get away with almost anything, including training. But once the Officials start arriving, everyone knows they're stricter, so we have to destroy some of our equipment. Items that can pass off as every day items can stay though, such as knives, needles and paints.

I pick up one of those knives, one that my uncle used to train with according to my father, and run my fingers along the delicate, deadly blade. I press a little too hard at one point and draw blood. It's nothing compared to the blood that will be shed at the Cornucopia in a weeks time. Nothing compared to the blood that _I,_ Edlynne Byrd,will be responsible for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** I am always looking for reviews, don't be shy!

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Chapter Two

Ruphyna storms into my room at seven in the morning, making as much noise as she can to wake me up. She succeeds in that task quite easily. Her beautiful green eyes are wide and she has one of her lovely smiles plastered on her face. It's one of the things I adore about her. She's so elegant. If she ever gets the chance to get in the games, that will be her angle, I'm sure of it.

**"Come on Edlynne! If you don't get up now we'll never get there on time!"** she giggled, attempting to pull me out of bed. She's strong for an eleven year-old. That doesn't come as a surprise though, she's been training half her life, but so have I, and I'm older. I pull her onto the bed and start tickling her; Ruphyna sets off squealing and she gives my a few punches in the arm to get me away. Although I'm stronger, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. I pull myself away, we both look at each other and start grinning. For all we know, this could be one of the last times I talk to her. It doesn't seem to cross her mind that she could be stuck with me for another while.  
**"No, really. Mum wants you up now. She's going to do a quick test before you leave. She also bought you a dress yesterday."** Ruphyna informs me, struggling to wipe her smile of her face. That's one thing she isn't good at, she finds it hard to calm down most of the time. It's all these little things that I love about my sister. Anyway, the idea of a dress doesn't excite me, but it's all part of the process. The Capitol tend to expect everyone in the Games to dress up formally, and for girls that means it's dresses all around. Tuxedos and suits for the boys. As for the test, I don't know why I didn't see it coming. My mother takes every chance she can get to prepare me. She gives me a small package which must contain what I will be wearing for the reaping, shoo Ruphyna and get dressed. I'm not really a fan of dresses, unlike a lot of the girls in District One, but even I have to admit that it's absolutely stunning. It's made of white cotton with a yellow-gold silk ribbon tied around the waist, finishing in a ribbon in the back. The collar is laced, as are the sleeves which happen to end at shoulder length. The dress reaches just past my knees.

I walk down the stairs, and all eyes turn to me. Ocelfa is the first to react, but all he does is stick his finger down his throat and make puking noises. Typical of him. Ruphyna jumps up and down giddily, clapping her hands. My mother stands there, looking proud and smug of her eldest child's appearance while my father just greets me good morning, not looking up from his book.  
**"Good morning Edlynne. Sit down."** my mother soon returns to her usual look and sits down at the table, gesturing for me to do the same. I know better than to resist and take a seat opposite her.  
**"We both know you can't train with weapons today, so I'm testing your memory. Just a few questions, nothing more."** I nod, understanding what she means. Everyone in my family knows that it can sometimes take more than brute strength to win in the Hunger Games. On rare occasions, the Career Tributes from Districts One, Two and Four run out of food for whatever reason. If they don't know what's safe to eat and what isn't, then they have to hope that their sponsors have spared some money and are feeling grateful.

**"Let's say that you've been able to set up some fishing traps you learned about at Training, and one of them catches a fish, but you don't know what it is. Do you proceed to cook and eat it?"** I pause, not sure. If I cooked it, that would make any normal fish safe to eat if done properly. But what if it was a poisonous mutt? I'm about to answer when I think a little deeper. My ultimate goal is to be the last one standing. I should take any chance I can get to bump others off, especially if the tensions are getting too high. Seeing as I'm from District One, I think I'm guaranteed a spot in the Career alliance too.  
**"I cook it as well as I can unless someone else in my alliance can cook better** **and offer a bit to someone else to eat. If they eat it, I can wait for any negative signs."** my mother looks confused, but then when she gets my reasoning behind it, she smiles. She clearly hadn't though of that herself then. For once I have done better than my mother. I get butterflies in my stomach now, wondering what her next question will be.  
**"I'm impressed. Make sure you gain the trust of others first though, otherwise they may grow suspicious."** of course. She's one to make sure it seems like she's still on top of the game. I sigh and shake my head internally, awaiting her next question. She asks me twenty questions in total, and she does it in such a way that I'm convinced she prepared these beforehand. Apparently I made a few "incompetent mistakes", so I'll have to make sure I hone in on my skills at Training. No one's perfect, so I may as well. It then hits me that for the whole morning, I've been thinking like I'm definitely going. But I probably won't. I bite my bottom lip and shake my head. I need to get in. The only problem is that hundreds of other girls are thinking exactly the same thing. I look up at the sound of birdsong to see my brother and sister laughing at something, and that gives me hope. I then think how strange it is that here I am, willing myself to get into the Hunger Games so I can win, when in many other Districts, many adolescent boys and girls are praying that they stay out for another year. It will be those boys and girls I will have to kill.

**"Come on darling, eat your breakfast. You'll need the strength."** my father says, handing me some cereal, toast and apple juice. He still hasn't noticed my dress.


End file.
